Quote:Original post by Oluseyi

Quote:Original post by load_bitmap_file

Quote:Original post by bytecoder
C++ may not require [char *s], but I'd be surprised if you can do very much without running into a one, though.

Care to back up that statement?

Legacy code, interaction with the OS, third-party code and libraries.

Really, it's not nearly as far-fetched as you might first assume.

Well, that sounds reasonable. std::string::c_str() is useful for functions that accept char* instead of std::string, though that certainly doesn't cover all cases with char* ickiness.

I still don't think that's a good statement to make in general though. [razz]

I've never used Python for a game, but I agree that it deserves considerably more attention than it gets.

It's nearly perfect for testing out almost anything. There's so many things you don't have to worry about that are present in languages like C++, even C#.

I've personally used it most as a sort of programmable calculator. For example, if there's a series of steps I need to keep repeating on a normal calculator, all I do instead is open up IDLE and write a function that does them for me.

I would definately agree it's more suitable for a beginner's language than C++. It would provide a gentle, yet informative introduction to the basic programming paradigms without bogging the total beginner down in complex, sometimes counter-intuitive syntax and unneeded complications.

Quote:Original post by skulldrudgery
Python doesn't really have the type of hold-your-hand-and-walk-you-through-it tutorials that most über newbies crave.

Which, in my opinion, is a Good Thing™. It's a good thing because, first, Python really doesn't need nearly as much hand-holding as C++, in part because Python is not as complicated as C++ and in part because it dispenses with a lot of unnecessary cruft we have become quite attached to. Like braces, insignificant whitespace and free formatted code.

Second, it's a good thing because most newbies never really advance beyond the newbie phase. Oh, sure, they write shader programs and so forth, and sometimes they complete games and whatnot, but they never master the C++ language or the concepts behind it, and they are forever running to forums and mailing lists and chat rooms and IRC channels asking for assistance. Because of all the hand-holding, they never learn to learn.


The cravings of newbies are, by definition, thoroughly uninformed. This makes them susceptible to misinformation and misdirection, and makes it all the more critical that those who purport to possess knowledge and have a responsibility to teach and train these newbies do so with a larger goal than immediate satisfaction or fawning adulation in mind.